Apparatus for controlling iron in blast-furnaces.



No. a9|,474. I Pate nted lan. 2|, I902.

L. LINCOLN. I

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING IRONIN BLAST FURNACES.

(Application filed July 25. 1599.

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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.No. 69|,474. Patented Jan. 2|, I902. L. LINCOLN.

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING IBUN, IN BLAST FURNACES.

(Application filed July 25, 1899.)

(No Model.) 3 Shaets-Sheet 3.

l6 /6 l6 1 1.2 Wk 7% u 'l n K Witnesses.- 1%06215'071' I UNITED STAT SPATENT OFFICE.

LUTHER LINCOLN, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOCHARLES S. GOODING, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING IRON IN BLAST-FURNACES.

SPECIFICATION part of Letters Patent NO. 691 ,474, dated January 21 1902.

Application filed July 25,1899. Serial No. 725,031. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, LUTHER LINCOLN, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Boston, in the county of Suifolk and State ofMassachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for0ontrolling Iron in Blast-Furnaces and Pigging the Same, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in cupolas and blast-furnaces andapparatus connected therewith for pigging iron and illustrates onepractical manner of carrying into operation my improved process fordrawing molten metal from a receptacle, for which I have this day-June4, 190l-executed an application for Letters Patent of the United Statesentitled Process for drawing molten metal from a receptacle.

In a blast-furnace there is always a high pressure on the molten metalin the cupola or hearth of the furnace due both to the head and to theblast. hen the metal is drawn off at or near the bottom, this highpressure is a serious obstacle to the proper handling of the metal andis much greater than in an air-furnace which has no blast.

The object of my invention is to control the iron in a cupola andblast-furnace, so as to get rid of or reduce the head and the pressureof the blast on the molten iron before the iron is drawn off and also toeven the blast. In order to accomplish this, I combine with a cupola 0rblast-furnace an auxiliary reservoir or chamber connected with thehearth of the cupola or furnace bya passage for the molten metal andhaving an elevated discharge-outlet from the reservoir.

The invention will now be fully described, and the novel featuresthereof pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a section plan on line 1 l of Fig. 2 of ablast-furnace and connected apparatus for piggingiron embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, the upperpart of the furnace being broken away and the tilting ladle, with itssupports, being shown in full. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the furnaceand reservoir. Fig. 4 is a side elevation, and

Fig. 5 is a vertical section, of a modified form. Fig. 6 is alongitudinal vertical section through the sow of the movable pig-bed onan enlarged scale. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the movablewedges removed.

Adjacent to or adjoining the furnace 1 is a reservoir 2, connected withthehearth 3 of the furnace by a passage 4, preferably at or near thebottom. The relative heights of the furnace and the reservoir are notessential; but the reservoir should be high enough for the metal not toflow over the top or run into the compression or exhaust pipe or twyers,and this will depend upon the pressure of the blast. Surrounding thefurnace is a twyerpipe 5, having twyers 6 leading therefrom into thefurnace, through which there is a constant blast of air into the furnaceof from five to fifteen or more pounds pressure. In the side of thereservoir 2 at some elevation above the bottom there is adischarge-orifice 7, provided with a spout 8. In practical operation themass of ore and burning coal in the contracted portion of the furnaceformed by the bosh above the twyers is so compact that a draft throughis obtained only by forced pressure, and although the top of the furnaceis open there is practically no atmospheric pressure from that source onthe molten metal in the hearth. The normal level 42 of the molten metalin the furnace isat the slag-hole 41, and in the reservoir the normallevel 43 is at the spout-hole 7. In some kinds of blast-furnaces thereis no slag-hole. In such furnaces the normal level will depend upon theforce of the blast; but in all cases the normal level will be higherthan the top of the passage-way leading from the cupola to thereservoir. The forced blast-pressure of the air in the furnace from thetwyers is ordinarily sufficient to force the molten iron to rise in thereservoir and discharge through the spout 8. The height of thedischarge-opening should be determined by the pressure of the blast.From the spout 8 the metal is delivered into the ladle 9, pivoted inbrackets 10 and operated by handles 11. When the ladle is full orcontains as much as is desired fora pouring, it is tilted on its pivotsand poured into the pig-bed 12 beneath. There need be no interruptio'nof the flow from the reservoir during the pouring, as the ladle willstill remain in such position underneath the spout as to catch thedischarge therefrom even when the ladle is tilted. The movable pig-bed12 is preferably formed in an open box-car 13, running on a track 14.The molds are formed with a sow 15, extending along one side of the bed,and pigs 16, connected therewith. At intervals in the sow wedges orblocks 17 are placed to diride it into sections.

One of the advantages of my auxiliary reservoir is that it serves toeven the blast. As the air is usually pumped into the twyers, the blastis uneven, being intermittent, according to the strokes of the piston.The pressure of the blast forces the metal up into the auxiliaryreservoir and makes a reservoir in the hearth of the furnace and evensand steadies the blast and will keep the melted iron in circulation andmix it.

The pressure from the twyer-pipe alone is ordinarily sufficient to keepthe metal in the reservoir 2 up to the full height of thedischarge-orifice 7, so that the metal will discharge freely, but notforcibly,as when drawn out at the bottom of the hearth directly intorunners. In order, however, to provide means by which the discharge canbe quickened or the metal raised in case the pressure from the twyers isnot sufficient, I connect the reservoir with an exhaust pump or chamberby a pipe 18, entering the reservoir 2 near the top. The exhaust-pipe isprovided with a valve 19, which will be kept closed except when theexhaust is required to lift the metal in the reservoir.

Sometimes it is desired to equalize the pressure in the hearth and inthe reservoir, so that the metal will be on a level in both places. Inorder to attain this result, I connect the twyer-pipe 5 with the upperpart of the reservoir by a pipe 20, provided with a valve 21, so that byopening the valve the pressure will be equalized and the iron will dropdown below the discharge-outlet.

Sometimes the metal in the reservoir be-' comes somewhat chilled, and itis desirable to drive it back into the furnace for reheating. In orderto accomplish this, I connect the upper part of the reservoir with acompressed-air pipe 22, provided with a valve 23. By opening the valveof the compressed-air pipe 22 and closing the valve of the pipe 20,leading to the twyer-pipe, and closing the valve of the exhaust-pipe 18the pressure on the metal in the reservoir will exceed that on the metalin the hearth and will drive the metal out of the reservoir back intothe hearth. This method can also be employed to stop the dischargetemporarily, if desired, for other purposes than reheating.

With a blast-furnace embodying my invention the pigging can be carriedon continuously as fast as the iron melts, which is impossible in theusual form of construction.

When the metal is not being drawn off, the

spout may be plugged up with clay in the usual manner, and the cover 45(see Figs. 2

and-3) may be removed to make an air-vent.

In the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5, instead of a reservoir suchas previously described I connect an upturned pipe or covered spout 31with the passage 4 from the hearth, the spout rising to a sufficientheight to discharge into a ladle 9. Such a spout I regard as anequivalent of the reservoir 2. The ladlecan be tilted to pour the metalinto a bed in a car beneath, or the ladle may be suspended from a crane33 by a chain 34, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, so that the ladle may becarried to a bed or mold or other receptacle farther away. Thecompressed-air pipe 22 can be connected with the spout 31 near itsupperend and utilized in the same way as the compressed-air pipepreviously described to force the metal back into the hearth. Also, ifdesired, an exhaust-pipe can be connected with the spout, and the spoutcan be connected with the twyer-pipe.

What I claim is 1. In combination with a blast-furnace or cupola, anauxiliary reservoir or chamber for the molten metal connected with thehearth of the furnace or cupola by a continuous passage and having adischarge-outlet at an elevation higher than the bottom of the hearth, atwyer-pipe and twyers leading to the furnace, and a valved pipe leadingfrom the twyer-pipe into the upper part of said reservoir or chamber,substantially as described.

2. In combination with a blast-furnace or cupola, an auxiliary reservoiror chamber for the molten metal connected with the hearth of the furnaceor cupola by a continuous passage and having a discharge-outlet at anelevation higher than the bottom of the hearth, a compressed-air chamberand a valved pipe leading therefrom into said auxiliary reservoir orchamber at the upper part thereof, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a blast-furnace or cupola, an auxiliary reservoiror chamber for the molten metal connected with the hearth of the furnaceby a continuous passage and having a discharge -outlet at an elevationhigher than the bottom of the hearth, an exhaust-chamber and a valvedpipe leading there from into the upper part of the auxiliary reservoiror chamber, substantially as described.

4. In combination with a blast-furnace or cupola, an auxiliary reservoiror chamber for the molten metal connected with the hearth of the furnaceby a continuous passage and having a discharge -outlet at an elevationhigher than the bottom of the hearth, a twyerpipe and twyers leading tothe furnace, a valved pipe leading from the twyer-pipe to the upper partof said auxiliary reservoir or chamber, a compressed-air chamber and avalved pipe leading therefrom into the upper part of said auxiliaryreservoir or chamber, substantially as described.

ICC

hearth of the furnace and the auxiliary reservoir or chamber, adischarge-outlet for the metal from the auxiliary reservoir or chamberat an elevation higher than the slag-outlet from the hearth, and meansby which a forced blast is introduced into the furnace or cupola abovethe molten metal, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have afi'ixed my signature in presence of twoWitnesses.

LUTHER LINCOLN.

Witnesses: ROBERT WALLACE, WILLIAM A. COPELAND.

